Wellness Wisdom: Activities for Building Happy, Healthy Families
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month
Now more than ever, kids are faced with so many food choices — from fresh produce to sugar-filled, processed meals and snacks. What children eat, and when they eat it, may affect not only their general health but also their oral health.
When sugar is consumed over and over again in large, often hidden amounts, the harmful effect on teeth can be dramatic. Sugar on teeth provides food for bacteria, which produce acid. The acid in turn can eat away the enamel on teeth.
Almost all foods have some type of sugar. Sugar can’t and shouldn’t be eliminated from our diets. Many foods with sugar also contain important nutrients and add enjoyment to eating. But there is a risk for tooth decay from a diet high in sugars.
Reduce your children’s risk of tooth decay:
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- Limit high sugar foods. But if you do have them, its best to have at meals. Why? Because saliva production increases during meals and helps neutralize acid production and also rinses food particles from the mouth.
- Rethink your drink. Children should make healthy beverage choices such water and low-fat milk.
- Help your children develop good brushing and flossing habits.
- Schedule regular dental visits.
Source: American Dental Association
Breastfed From the Start: Helpful Tips for Mastering Breastfeeding
Oversupply
An oversupply of milk may seem like a dream but it’s not always easy to manage. Here are some signs of oversupply as well as tips to work with it.
You Might:
- Leak an excessive amount between feedings
- Be engorged beyond 3 weeks postpartum
- Experience recurring and frequent clogged ducts
- Wake up often at night sore and soaked with milk
- Spray streams of milk on the side infant isn’t eating on
Baby Might:
- Choke and cough when milk lets down
- Fill up after only a few minutes on just one side
- Experience spitting up or excessive gas
- Eat more frequently and cat nap from not receiving the extra fat toward the end of the feeding
You Could Try:
- Letting baby feed in the laid back position so baby can take in the milk as it comes, rather than being flooded.
- Removing baby from breast during forceful letdown, then re-latching baby after letdown has finished. Or hand express just enough to soften the nipple/areola so baby can get a good, deep latch.
- There are a number of ways you can ‘catch’ and save the milk that comes out during letdown when baby is not latched. You can use a milk ‘catcher’ product as there are many currently on the market, hold a breast pump shield to your breast with a bottle attached, or even hold a bowl or wide brim cup to catch the milk released.
- Burping baby every 5 minutes during feedings.
- Decreasing any pumping you might be doing as this tells the body to make more milk and can both cause and make oversupply worse.
- Wearing nursing pads and having extra on hand to swap out when needed.
- Taking a warm shower and let your milk flow.
Delicious & Nutritious Recipes: Simple, Kid Approved Dishes to Try at Home
Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Ingredients:
- 1 & 3/4 cups quick cook oats or crispy rice cereal
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- dash of salt (optional)
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or diced raisins (optional)
Directions:
- Wash prep surfaces and your hands.
- In a medium bowl, add oats or crispy rice cereal, peanut butter, and maple syrup or honey. Add vanilla extract and salt if desired.
- Using a spoon or clean hands, combine until smooth. Add chocolate chips or raisins if desired, and mix in.
- Cover and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Take out and roll into 1-inch balls.
- Store in zip-top plastic bags in refrigerator or freezer.
Tips: Kids love to help mix the ingredients, with clean hands! They also love to help roll the balls. You can use other nut butters like almond butter instead of peanut butter.
This post was last updated on January 28th, 2022 at 3:45 PM
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